Minocqua Chamber Joins Fight To Keep J-1 Visa

The Minocqua Chamber of Commerce is surveying its members and has joined a lobbying effort to oppose a rumored Trump Administration move to cancel student exchange visas.

The J-1 Visa Exchange Visitor Plan enables youth from foreign nations to come to America to experience the culture. Northwoods tourism industries have employed students from many nations to fill a labor shortage.

"....we're partnering with the Wis. Assoc. of Conventions and Visitors Bureaus along with the Department of Tourism, we're going to be lobbying the state Congressional delegation and the Trump administration to stop any potential Executive Orders that would stop the J-1 Summer Visa program...."

Westfahl says the chamber is surveying local businesses about their use of the J-1 program..

".....that's what we're attempting to do is get as much information from our local community and the local businesses that we participate with. How many students they are using and if there were J-1 students made available how they would use them..."

Westfahl says Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has gone on record supporting the program. She says as of now there are several members of Congress who are also backing the program. She says statewide there is a concern because it would severely harm the travel and tourism industry without the visa students.

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Minocqua will host the sixth annual No Frills Marathon Saturday and a state marketing grant is helping bring in new participants. It also is helping with the area's bottom line.

Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Krystal Westfahl says the event began as a marathon along the Bearskin Trail from Tomahawk to Minocqua.

Last year she says they got a state Joint Effort Marketing grant to try to bring in half-marathon participants and they focused on bringing more half-marathon runners this year. The Department of Tourism provided a $3,250 dollar grant this year as well....

As the summer tourism season approaches, two Lakeland-area groups are bringing in an expert to get businesses prepared for the influx of summer tourists.

The Marywood Franciscan Spirituality Center in Arbor Vitae and the Minocqua Chamber of Commerce are bringing in the Director of Corporate Communications, Leadership Development and Training for the Kwik Trip company, John McHugh.

Sister Elizabeth Amman is Director at Marywood and one of the sponsors of McHugh's appearance in Minocqua.